Getting Ready for a Grant

Receiving a grant can change an organization forever, providing valuable funding needed to jumpstart technology development, organizational growth, or commercialization. But how do you know if your company is ready—both to undertake the often arduous grant proposal process and, if you win, to actually execute the funded activities?

Put First Things First

Grants aimed at clients in the advanced energy, transportation, and manufacturing industries will typically fund a specific project—and not your organization in general.

Typically, a project must:

Have quantifiable, measurable goals

Advance the goals of the granting agency

Include a well-defined, realistic path to completion

Bring together a team of skilled, experienced partner organizations

Possess other sources of funding

It is also important to remember that although grants are, in a sense, “free money,” they do come with demanding reporting requirements, strict performance milestones, and lengthy lists of terms and conditions, especially when grant amounts top the million-dollar mark.

Lay the Groundwork

If you believe that your organization will be applying for state or federal funding at some point in the next year, there are several steps you can take now that will dramatically streamline the application process later—and minimize the stress involved.

As soon as possible:

Write a one to two-page summary of the project. On a high level, consider:

Goals

Objectives

Project team members

Roles and responsibilities

Permitting requirements

Scope of work

Budget by task and team member

Benefits to the region, state, and/or country

Assemble one- to two-page resumes for all key project personnel from all team members

Ask local organizations, agencies, and elected officials if they would be willing to provide letters of support once you begin the proposal preparation process

Find the Right Opportunity

Once you’ve laid the groundwork and have a project you believe merits federal or state grant funding, the next step is to find the right funding opportunity. Because each grant typically has many applicants and the application process is quite competitive, it is important to apply for only those opportunities that are a good fit your company. Otherwise you could waste a lot of time and money—all for nothing.

To learn how to find the perfect grant opportunity, check back soon for Finding the Perfect Grant.

Grant Farm

We specialize in accelerating the development, demonstration, and deployment of advanced energy, water, manufacturing, and transportation technologies. Through a combination of tenacity, inspiration, and hard-won industry knowledge, we guide our clients and their partners through the thicket of obstacles that can bring critical projects to a stop.